Is Zirconium Tooth Harmful? How Is It Made?
Zirconium Tooth
Ensuring proper oral hygiene and care is an important issue for tooth and gum health. Otherwise, the loss of dental tissues may cause caries to reach untreatable dimensions and lead to the development of various functional or aesthetic problems. Zirconium coating, which makes excessively deteriorated teeth or fillings aesthetically healthy as well as functional, is among the most widely used treatment options today. However, in some cases, its application may be harmful or risky.
What Is Zirconium Tooth?
Zirconium tooth; It is a type of coating obtained from a durable and aesthetic material called zirconium oxide, which is used to eliminate tooth deficiencies and deformations in the mouth. Since it consists of white alloy instead of the grey metal in the substructure of classical porcelain bridges and prostheses, it provides an appearance close to the natural tooth colour and supports the smile design.
Zirconium, which covers the front surface of the teeth, both prolongs the service life by providing protection to teeth with tissue loss and corrects aesthetic defects such as discolouration, staining, curvature, cracking or deformity. For this reason, it is suitable for use in many areas from old filling replacement to caries treatment or aesthetic smile design.
Zirconium Veneer Properties
Zirconium coating, which helps to eliminate the defects in the teeth in the closest way to nature, differs from other alternative treatment methods with the following features:
- Zirconium is a durable material that naturally exists in nature and offers the advantage of long-lasting use. In correct applications, use usually extends up to 20 years.
- The biocompatibility of zirconium is very high, so it does not cause allergies or darkening of the surrounding tissues like metal-based porcelain.
- Zirconium is a translucent white coating with natural light transmission and looks extremely natural. Thus, it does not disturb the harmony and aesthetic appearance of the mouth.
- Unlike other veneers, it does not cause problems such as discolouration, taste disturbance, odour or bacterial accumulation over time; therefore, it is very healthy in terms of oral hygiene.
- Zirconium coating care is similar to normal dental care and does not require additional hygiene steps. Regular 6-monthly medical check-ups are sufficient for veneer health.
- Zirconium has low thermal conductivity, thus providing extra protection against gum diseases compared to other coatings.
Zirconium is a coating that best imitates the natural light transmittance of tooth enamel and has high intraoral compatibility and strength. For this reason, it is the most effective treatment method that can be preferred in certain tooth deficiencies and deformations.
What Are The Reasons For Preferring Zirconium?
Zirconium is a treatment method applied for aesthetic purposes, usually in structurally impaired fillings or dental restorations with excessive material loss.
In addition, it is widely used in cases such as
- In advanced discolouration that does not give results with classical whitening methods
- Correction of split, crowded or cracked teeth
- Providing extra protection and support for teeth with thinning structure
- Implant prosthesis on the front teeth
- Patients who cannot use other types of coatings due to metal allergy
Zirconium is a coating suitable for application at any age due to these advantages, but it will give more permanent results after 18-20 years of age when tooth and mouth development is completed. Generally, zirconium coating, which is one of the most effective methods in creating an aesthetic, durable and healthy mouth structure for many patients; It is not recommended for people with a long tooth gap in the mouth and a large number of missing teeth or those with severe gum disease.
How Is Zirconium Veneer Applied?
Zirconium crown application is a simple treatment that is completed in a short time and has high patient comfort after treatment. Firstly, the general condition of the teeth and the patient is evaluated with a control examination with the dentist, and the most appropriate treatment plan is created by using various imaging methods. In the meantime, CAD/CAM systems, which are 3D photography technology, are used and the intraoral image of the person is transferred to the computer environment, so that the most suitable veneers can be produced for the oral structure and natural tooth appearance. Veneer selection proceeds with the cooperation of the patient and physician, and as a result, the preparation stage of the veneers that best support the face in terms of colour, size, transparency and tone is started.
The preparation of the veneers takes 3-5 days on average, and after the completion of this period, a new session is organised for veneer placement. Sometimes, in order not to reduce patient comfort, temporary teeth can be worn until the permanent veneers are prepared. After the main teeth are prepared, fitting rehearsals are performed to replace the temporary veneers with permanent ones. Thus, after the intraoral harmony is tested in terms of height, comfort and appearance, the veneers are fixed in place.
Is Zirconium Veneer Harmful to Teeth?
Zirconium coating, when applied correctly, is a useful treatment for maintaining oral functions and gaining an aesthetic smile. However, no prosthesis can replace healthy tooth tissue, but it may be the best solution to cover a tooth weakened due to reasons such as canal treatment, filling, caries with zirconium.
For this reason, the minimum disadvantages that provide benefits in many respects can be listed as follows:
- In order for the zirconium crown to be placed properly in the mouth, the damaged teeth or fillings must be filed to some extent. While this situation prolongs the service life of zirconium by providing more support for the teeth, it leads to a slight decrease in healthy tooth tissue.
- Due to the abrasion of the enamel on the teeth during application, hot-cold sensitivity is high in the first few days after treatment. However, this sensitivity disappears in a short time as a result of following a nutrition plan in accordance with the dentist’s recommendations.
- Zirconium is a very hard material with high strength, but this may carry the risk of eroding the natural tooth surface for individuals with teeth grinding habits.
- Zirconium is not an effective treatment for people with impaired gum harmony, unfavourable general health or long and sequential tooth gaps in the mouth. Instead, different prosthesis applications should be preferred.
The applicability of zirconium veneers should be evaluated according to factors such as the general health status of the patient, the condition of the teeth, and aesthetic expectations. Therefore, if you are planning to have zirconium veneers to get rid of functional and aesthetic defects in the mouth, it is recommended to consult a dentist beforehand.
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